The Province

Go big or go small, these ideas are sure to score some points

Cheryl Chan, The Province Published: Tuesday, November 23, 2010

From sensible to stylish to seriously high-tech, here's some luxurious gifts for the most important woman in your life. The compliments she'll get from them will get her glowing into the new year.

Paddywax scents

Ever wonder what great writers smell like? Paddywax pays homage to literary greats with its line of candles, travel candles and home diffusers. Walt Whitman is predictably all grass and thyme, while Jane Austen is reminiscent of gardenia, tuberose and jasmine. An intoxicating blend of tangerine, juniper and cloves in honour of Charles Dickens is available for the holidays. $10 travel tin, $20 candle, and $25 diffuser. Chapters, chapters.ca

Jo Malone cologne

For the lady who likes to layer, the Jo Malone cologne collection lets her mix-and-match scents to suit the occasion and comes in a beautifully-packed gift box. Captivating scents include lime basil and mandarin and the darkly seductive pomegranate noir. $110. Holt Renfrew, 737 Dunsmuir Street, holtrenfrew.com

Heather Johnston prints

Gorgeous black-and-white photographs of iconic Vancouver landmarks on canvas by Vancouver artist Heather Johnston. The images will look great on her wall or desk. $125 for 12 x 12 inch canvas print, $15 for a calendar. Parliament, 115 Water Street, parliamentinteriors.com or heather-johnston.com

Tory Burch case

Give your iPhone a strong dose of glam with Tory Burch's new Saffiano media sleeve. It'll protect your gadget while making a strong fashion statement. $75 US. Pre-order at toryburch.com

Samsung Galaxy Tablet

Will the highly anticipated Samsung tablet make a dent in Apple's iPad dominance? The techie mom will have to find out. The Android-operating tablet has a slightly smaller than the iPad but is also half a pound lighter. $650. Currently only available in Canada through Bell Mobility. bell.ca